Nautilus On Land

Southeast of the calm of Capricorn rests a small archipelago of invisible significance. Sheltered from the tumult of hurricanes and lashings by the presence of a suitable islet, this respite – known to history as Staple Shallow – formed the foundation of a future empire.

Captain Mayvis Purjon arrived on the shore of the southern-most island in the total blackness of a starless night, the 23rd of April. He was a man of about forty years of age, possessing a remarkably good physiognomy, with dark whiskers and high cheekbones. His sudden apparition caused flight of innumerable birds, hidden in hollows besides craggy rocks, which shaped the sand in unequal displacements. Otherwise, the immediate location seemed destitute. Then, as his eyes adjusted on the limpid rays reflected from the crescent moon upon the water, he caught sight of his fellow traveler, Billy Norman. Approaching softly from behind, Mayvis found him standing erect, gazing over the sea, despite the imperceptible blackness of the night, likely spying some feature only his sailor's eyes could descry. Indeed, a violent fog was speeding rapidly toward the zenith, and after a few moments, the momentous flash of lightning was seen; a violent storm was certainly approaching. They stared at the horizon in silence, distantly aware of their current standing, when after a few minutes the sailor spoke:

'Our repose finds a favorable position, under the protection of these magnificent dragon-trees.'

'What of our exact location?' Mayvis replied, languidly.

'I do not know. By the light of morning, we shall be sure.'

Billy was tall, right around fifty, and even in the night Mayvis could just see his crystal eyes, unwavering in their focus. A single scar disjointed his features from the upper parallel to his lower lip; it made him look like he was always squinting.

'Perhaps,' he continued, 'an early night would be best.' As he said this, he indicated the tent, resting on the tree-line, with a small dot for a fire. Mayvis agreed, and they both set for sleep. When the downpour came, about an hour later, they both strained for warmth in the comfort of a few dying embers, and resolved to pass the night in a comfortable silence.

**

It was about seven o’clock in the morning of the 24th when Mayvis, along with his fellow sailor, quitted their sandy encampment and scaled a high plateau onto which, hopefully, a command of the entire island may be surveyed. On this particular morning, the wind favored a westerly direction and as such, the fellows took greater care following the crater’s tract, opening to a vast funnel carved above a chasm, where the streaks of ancient lava, etched into the basalt, could still be seen. After an hour, in which Mayvis exalted prolifically on the nature of such volcanoes, wishing his companion to know that it was, indeed, quite extinct, the pair drew near the end of the tract, widening and extending upward, though irregularly, and they emerged on the northern face of the mountain. There, Billy gave an excited cry.

‘The sea, captain, it stirs so, yet the wind feels hardly above a breeze!’

‘I had,’ started Mayvis, ‘I had forgotten much the feel; but I concur. Perhaps the other islets amplify the wind in some way.’

Their capital engineer stepped forward, and after casting an attentive glance from which the darkness of the evening before prohibited, snuffed the air and said, ‘perhaps we mistake the geography precisely. I do not recall this view in the books, nor would this wind place us in the correct trajectory, Bill.’ He stepped to the side and traced his hand along the coastline, directing Billy’s attention. ‘See here, the promontory with which we landed, that in the east, terminates by way of a slim gulf, and bordered on either side by short capes… this was on the opposite side of our intended landing site.’

Mayvis had studied the maps with absolute astuteness, and it was therefore certain his conviction was correct. Just to be sure, he pulled the map out of his pocket.

‘But how is that possible?’ said Billy, already floundering on the spot.

‘Accidents happen,’ Mayvis responded, unfolding the paper. Then, lying it flat on the floor, so as to keep it steady from the wind, and resting himself with the precarious tenure of his arm on the cliff edge, spoke thus: ‘that eastern shore, already discussed, continues on a rounded protuberance toward the northwest. From here to the southwest lies thickets of dense forest, at this point, untrodden, and will produce the slowest method of travel.’ Mayvis pointed to the sharp southern tip of the island, which much resembled three elongated fingers, conjoined at the very ends, and continued: ‘this would make faster time, though I doubt an excess of food, which is now, evidently, a necessity for our travels.’

All at once the sailor sprang up, and taking a cautionary look around him, said, 'The decision is made then.'

So it was decided: the pair would lower the western ascent of the plateau, and trek through the forest until reaching the densest region, roughly a kilometer from the shore, and retrieve their prize.

'Six hundred years man,' Billy was heard muttering as the duo prepared to depart, 'travel six hundred years just to wind up on the wrong bloody side o' the place.'

**

Mayvis and Billy penetrated the inner recesses of the craggy cliff, and felt the going was quite simple, but near the bottom, the rocks suddenly turned dangerously sharp, and the pair had to carefully avoid the strange protrusions. This slowed their progress for the rest of the morning, and not a minute after mid-day did they collect themselves on the bottom of the cliff. Looking up, Mayvis deduced the height of the plateau to be around one hundred meters. While contemplating their situation, the question of food became prominent to him. He proposed to Billy that a source of food be first acquired, in that the journey not be cut short by a sudden detour for hunger. Billy agreed, and together they plunged into the forest.

The pair advanced on what was best judged as westward, though this was presently quite difficult, for the canopy opened very seldomly, and the small fissures of permitted light only showed the travelers an ever-increasingly dense forest. Billy soon remarked on the narrow cuttings, out of which a stream may issue, and expressed sincere delight in settling down for rest. Mayvis agreed, though the issue of food was still on his mind. During their trek he kept watch for edible berries, but the trees and ferns seemed desolate of good eating food.

Eventually, this creek was indeed found, though whether fresh or not was at present unclear. The watercourse was some ten breadths wide, and the banks, hosted by innumerable birds, remaining silent at their approach - for they likely never had contact with humans before - sloped scarcely a few meters high. The presence of the birds helped Mayvis judge the waters of its purity, and both scooped a handful each. He thought for an instant to kill one of the birds, with a striking reddish plumage and a long, barrel-shaped beak, though his weapon (a common laser, fashioned in the similar shape of a twenty-first-century pistol) would surely scatter the remaining wildlife, and he deemed it unwise to waste the supply. Mayvis asked Billy if he could, discreetly, catch one of the fowls, and use the ambience of their guns to cook it. He replied that he was unfamiliar with this species, but he would try. However, any attempt in approaching them would only provoke aggression, and the birds would flap their wings in dismay, as if summoning the winds to blow the intruders away. Mayvis then thought for the construction of a bow, which would, he thought, be apparently simple enough for the pair.

'But how would you build such?' Billy asked of Mayvis.

'I only require the branches from a tree, and the fiber of a flower, such as a hibiscus, which I have spotted on our journey here.'

Mayvis returned after searching with the required materials. Long, strict branches they were, with remarkable flexibility and operation; and combined with the string, he now had a silent weapon. The question of arrows arose, and Mayvis sequenced his laser as if it were a cutter, and fashioned the edges of several other branches to defined points. It was no substitute for iron, though Billy believed the rest would sort itself through chance. By mid-afternoon, after extensive practice with their ancient weaponry, the pair had successfully acquired four birds.

It was in the sailor's mind, that this would constitute the greatest challenge in their venture, though he was to be proven incomparably wrong the next day.

**

That night they camped on the stream's edge, in a small, windswept space full of spiders. Thankfully, the weather was merciful to the pair, who after the day were quite tired, and managed a quiet respite of solace.

By dawn of the 25th some of the loftier, leftover clouds from the previous storms dissipated, drifting northwards to the further islands of the archipelago. By the first streak of dawn, the pair had already packed the tent and were ready to continue their journey when, surveying their spot, prints on the dirt which resembled a large animal were seen. The nature for the prints, a solitary quadruped, raised some alarm. They were large, roughly four inches long, bearing great width between the toes, with a heavy pad. Billy, after some consideration, did not believe the trouble worth the fret, for a stream is a natural, as he put it: 'locale for the animals, and we camped in the wrong spot.'

Mayvis appropriately considered this proposition, yet he took a decidedly gloomy aspect. 'These prints are lonesome; we have walked this stream up and down for hours yesterday, and these prints were never seen before now. Either, the animal - most likely a tiger - for which these prints belong to is scarce, or it was drawn here.' Here, he tapped the two remaining birds on his belt. 'Most likely, the beast approached us in the night, and sought to take off with our prize. It only confirms my suspicion that our displacement is correct, and we have arrived before Mr. Stapledon could claim the prize for his own. The cat did not recognize us, as humans, and retreated.'

'But,' said Billy, 'what does that mean, May?'

'It means he has either abandoned his course, and will hopefully traverse the east for food, or he will deploy the full weight of his savagery upon us at some later point.'

The pair decided to tread with further caution, though the remaining carcasses could not be forsaken. Then, after deciding to skip breakfast, Mayvis guessed the direction they must travel, and set off.

The travelers were soon, by late morning, on the precipice of a second wood, with trees bent in a manner indicating a sea-swell, though this did not render them less magnificent. An extensive system comprising cliffs of granite and fine trees formed the neck of the stream, which they now rejoined. Mayvis now saw clearer above the canopy, and with the weather being clear, he took the moment for a proper surveillance. The cliffs, merely composite rocks in stature, were, a long time ago, when the island was still underwater, beaten violently by waves under the influence of the southern winds. Now, even from a distance of roughly five hundred meters, many cavities clearly existed for which a suitable encampment could be made should the need arise.

Billy, hardly interested in stopping, especially since he was unsuspecting of the apparent length of their journey, rejected the idea to explore these caves.

'I will not linger, Bill, though I fear our journey is hardly over. This forest is very thick, and something in the islands lack of abundance disturbs me. Besides, some rest tonight on proper flooring, and shelter from the elements, would do us well. I know the object for our journey is slightly out of its way, but we could safely gather food and water, and pass a morning of impassable weather in safety.'

'Although,' Billy rejoined, 'while a sound argument, there is good reason to ration our remaining provisions, and we shall reach the caves before the need for avoiding starvation arises! However, I will always defer to your judgement, May, and if you believe it best, I will follow you, wholeheartedly.'

This continued for some time, but eventually, Billy succumbed, and the pair made a direct course for the cliffs. They arrived at a possible habitation by early afternoon, and were extremely eager for some food. On a low bearing, with a gentle slope, there was a cave with a vast carpet of sand before it. It looked promising, though their fatigue became the better of their sound judgement; for just as they were to enter, a terrifying roar arrested them.

Billy cried for cover, and the pair scrambled over a large rock just as the large creature emerged from the darkness. The tiger was as magnificent as Mayvis imagined. It measured three meters from the extremity of its head to the base of the tail. The orange hair, relieved in regular streaks of black and grey, contrasted the white, sometimes yellow of its belly. It looked very old, but still bore the prowess pertinent for such a beast.

The tiger advanced forward, sniffing the air with blazing eyes and hair bristling. Mayvis doubted the animal could see his head peeking over the rock, though he would undoubtedly smell the pair, if not the carrion first. At this moment, Billy leaned cautiously from the sharpened angle of the rock, and levelled his laser, at the ferocious animals' head. As if by a supernatural sense, the tiger gathered itself not a couple meters from Billy's head, and was about to spring, when a shot struck its front paw. The tiger recoiled, and in its aggravation - for its paw was smoldering and cracking in the heat - took a rabid swipe with its other paw at Billy.

Mayvis rushed the tiger, who fired three shots in quick succession, each hitting a dense thicket of fur on the shoulder blade, and the beast emitted an immense cry. Then, some wild fury rose in it, and it launched onto Billy, wrestling in a mad struggle, its teeth seeking an opening at his neck. In a show of uncharacteristic strength, Billy seized the tiger by the throat in one powerful hand, without heeding the back claws tearing his legs, and sent multiple beams of light through the tigers heart. It fell dead.

**

They spent the remainder of the day in the cave; Billy was bleeding badly at first though the wounds were quickly cauterized with a laser. Before drifting into sleep, Billy expressed desire to be alone by the fire; and Mayvis happily agreed, for the smell of death was thick in the small, barely hospitable dwelling, and it gave him a headache. He went to take air on the cliff-edge. The moon, which was full the night before, had not risen, yet the horizon was already silvered by the soft, pale shades of the upcoming midnight. It was the first night since their arrival, two days prior, that the sky was clear enough to perceive constellations, of which a particularly glittering caught Mayvis' eye, the Southern Cross, which greeted him on the cliff of granite.

For what lasted a few hours, Mayvis sank into a somber torpor of guilt, and wished heartedly for the speedy recovery of his friend. His right thigh was slashed both in and out, and it rendered him quite unable to walk. It would heal, but this would prolong their stay by at least a few weeks. When it became too cold to bear the outside, Mayvis rejoined his companion by the fire and found him sleeping heavily. He checked his wounds one last time, then settled for a night of significant unrest.

**

The 26th to the 5th of May were spent on various activities; the removal of the tiger carcass, for one, which had been appropriately stripped and discarded down the cliff, supported their food for the next couple weeks. Mayvis would ferry water from the stream, which ran with significant tumult at the cliff base, to the cave. Their spare time was spent in discussion and thought, for neither were happy with their circumstance or predicament; Billy believed the mission still viable, and strongly insisted the voyage continue. Mayvis knew, from the astronomical observations he made during these nine days, that the abode they sought was not far, and, if Billy were at full pace, they would reach it in less than two days. He remained reluctant to relinquish his role as proctor for Billy, whose weakness stemmed largely now from fever and heat stroke rather than his muscles.

'We have plenty of time, Bill,' said Mayvis, 'around fifty years in fact.'

And, in speaking thus, he thought once more of their mission, and recalled a certain argument which arose on the second night of their encampment in the tigers den. Billy noted the special irony of the situation, of two time travelers outwitted by birds and tigers.

'So far,' Mayvis countered, 'much has succeeded, and we shall not be wanting for much else, unless five decades of trouble arise to combat two days of travel.'

'Capitally, yes, yes... but am I to lose my leg for a lump of metal?'

'You won't lose your leg, Bill, just give it rest.'

'Alright,' Billy muttered, 'but it's all for a lump of metal, no? A reservoir of undiscovered silver...' he cut himself off, a fixture of his malady descending on his countenance.

'This metal,' Mayvis said, 'shall, once destroyed, remove Mr. Stapledon's ability for mass production in nuclear weaponry. You know this, yet you fret over a fricken' leg?'

'I've read the books, Mr. Purjon, though surely, and this has been speculated by types far smarter than I, his production will simply move to another site, another metal, another time. We could have destroyed the boat he shall be carried on, and him and his crew with it!'

'No official record exists of his arrival on the island, only his written words must take actual bearing: "I arrived on Staple Shallow with a crew of three others, in 2032, after a violent storm threw us on the island shore." Such an expenditure of dangerous technology would avert our purpose, and we shall be selfish to hunt a man through time.'

'Yeah?' started Billy, with a sudden resurgence of strength, 'I witnessed his corps, as feverishly devoted to their progenitor as if he still spoke, decimate the alpine villages of New South Wales.'

'Why must you bring this up now? You've had plenty of time to discuss the efficacy of our plan.'

'"Our plan?" I do not recall being the engineer here, whose same precious metal allowed him to build a fuckin' time machine. Besides, I'm the one with half a leg hangin' off.'

They fended the night's chill with a small fire; they each ate in silence a small piece of their last fowl, now off, and tossed the rest outside. About an hour later, Mayvis returned bringing some flowers which he hoped would freshen the air; all the smoke clung to the ceiling like a cloud.

'At least your daughter'll be proud of you,' he told Billy, swirling the stems around his face, 'maybe savin' the world with this sorta thing.'

'You forget May, you've built a one-way device. And she doesn't exist anymore.'

**

On the morning of the 9th, Mayvis awoke his partner with a gentle prodding. In his hands were two walking sticks, of different color, which he presented with a generous gesture. Deciding the journey was best undertaken, also to stave off the boredom, Mayvis encouraged Billy to try the crutches. Dawn came in under a harsh banner of sparkling orange; songbirds piped up at Billy's retreat, and went silent as he tested his speed going down the cliff. The instruments were slightly large, and Mayvis offered to chip them down, though Billy refused, instead holding them a couple inches from the tip. The day, Billy promised, would prove fruitful in walking, for the weather was crisp and clear. In fact, small flakes pushed from the west hit the sands of the island; in the coming month, this would become a heaping rain, and the sultry air would be replaced by the mountain's chill.

Before departing, both men thought it prudent to, even if in solace, honor their dwelling with a name, Tiger's Den, in fondness for their rank, destitute hideaway.

Little of significance happened in the next days before reaching their objective. Billy's wounds held well, even better his spirits, for the air and exercise greatly improved his health. The two days journey was pushed to three, for after diverging from the stream, the outline took a rapid ascent and Mayvis, predicting a more hospitable route, chose this path. Mayvis carried sufficient provisions for the band for at least a few days, though he was always on peel for greater predators. Fortunately, none appeared in the forest. The first indication they were on the correct track appeared on the afternoon of the 11th, when the trees, which were composed of the same type previously encountered - firs, eucalypti, deodars, dragon, among others - generally of a large size, were clustered in such a manner their growth seemed further impossible.

Since their departure of the cave, the pair had descended the slopes of the islands mountain system, onto a drier soil, where the vegetation was fed by the stream. Here, the answer were less obvious. Mayvis guessed some subterranean marsh was responsible; Billy feigned interest, and spoke little during his particularly difficult push through the brush. They camped that night under a hut of branches; excitement tinged the air.

**

They set out at the first mention of dawn on the 12th, wishing to fulfill their objective before the day's end. A small altercation erupted when it became clear neither were totally sure of the sign they had reached their destination, however, it was believed that a cave would house the deposit of metals, and any openings in the hills should be carefully searched.

This soon proved in vain, for the foliage prevented a proper look between the trunks; nothing but stones and bramble was to be found. The pair's grief, who were strongly attached to this idea of a proper conclusion, today, was hardly describable. At least in the lesser woods, the stream was a concurrent compass, and a semblance of direction was obtainable. Now, the two moved in circles, often unsure of their progress. The regular hoots of monkeys seemed as if in mockery of the pair, whom moved effortlessly in the trees above them.

Around four o'clock, their frustration was immense. Mayvis strode through a familiar-looking thicket and lay down amongst the tall grass for a moment's rest. Billy was off at a tangent, roughly fifty meters away, in case of emergency and ear-shot was required. It was completely still. All noises had abruptly ceased, and in it, Mayvis began to perceive something completely unexpected. Leaning his ear closely to the floor, something like the rush of waves became increasingly clear. Billy returned at his cries, and Mayvis begged him to listen. Indeed, Billy listened with the greatest attention, and was convinced there was no mistake; the rumbling, mixed with a subterranean roar, ebbed and flowed in the bowels of the earth.

'The overflow of the stream!' Mayvis exclaimed, 'Perhaps a lake once existed here, and a passage now exists into this cave by that way.'

Of course, reobtaining the stream was easily achieved by the two, and soon enough, on the very border of the two forests, Mayvis and Billy saw a great pile of enormous rocks. Basalt and porphyry they were, and they composed a quiet bend of the stream, where many small animals lapped in the water. These rocks, through an astonishing occurrence, formed a natural arch over an opening, roughly ten meters in length and width.

Approaching, the roar of water became more apparent, and by the light of their lasers, they perceived the mouth of a well; it was by this the water escaped. Unlike the stone entrance, it was not a practicable passage, but a perpendicular drop which restricted perfect access. Mayvis told Billy to stay behind, and explore the rest of the upper portion, and he will return momentarily.

Mayvis descended; the elliptical roof, under which he first explored, suddenly rose, though the extent was indeterminable for the lack of light. The waves rushed over his feet, yet never rose any higher; an opening must exist somewhere, he thought. He went on for a quarter of an hour, advancing, making detours, following instinct and the direction of water flow until something glimmered in his eye.

At a height of thirty meters rose a vaulted roof, supported in random allotments by rocky shafts. In the middle of this room, surrounded as if in effigy by the pillars, resting in the calm water, was a tremendous blue glow. By reflection the water shone brilliant sparkles, and this section of the cavern was brilliantly illuminated by two glowing walls. Stirring from his shock, Mayvis drew near, causing a shower of gems, and wavered his hands over the object.

It was an angular crystal, one of many deeply segmented in the floor, of a bright blue. It's brilliancy and silicate nature indicated some form of kyanite, though not incased, as it is typically, within quartz; and it was more alien in nature. However, he was no expert in the subject of minerals, and did not think too heavily on the nature of his discovery.

Bringing his laser to the weakest point of the deposit, that being a thinly protruding piece, Mayvis was surprised at its dexterity, which when heated to approximately six hundred degrees Celsius, no visible change occurred in the crystal. Increasing the temperature by one hundred degrees, which he knew could render the instrument inoperable, he tried again. Still, the same result.

He increased it again, by one hundred degrees, and the laser started smoking. A high-pitch wheeze escaped the coils. Mayvis prayed for a little longer, and he thought, with some dim perception, that the crystal moved slightly, perhaps by the expansion of heat. This was not enough to separate the bonds, however, and the laser soon shut down.

**

Outside, Mayvis discussed all he'd seen with Billy, and the former stressed the durable property of their kyanite-like substance, and the inefficacy of their lasers.

'Well,' said Billy, incredulously, 'how would Stapledon have done it then?'

'It is most likely he discovered the gems when he crashed with his mates, then, after escape, returned with special equipment for the sole purpose of mining them. But, I agree, their nature is unlike other substances I've seen.'

Mayvis knew the sailor's impatience, especially when chafed under restraint. 'There's no use in trying another laser, if the expansion only just occurred at eight hundred degrees, then complete transformation will not occur for at least another few hundred.'

Billy looked fixedly at the man who spoke and added, - 'May, what are we to do then? We cannot move them, or hide them.'

'To block up the cave, and render the surrounding area as unappealing as possible, to deter any travelers from lingering, is perhaps our best hope.'

'It is no guarantee.'

'No, but we never had that anyway.'

'Okay then.'

Billy's laser was put into effect immediately, collapsing the natural bridge of rocks above the entrance. The pair considered steaming the water, so to obtain a barren soil, and deter the presence of any animals, however they both knew this futile, for the entire stream should not be wasted.

'Block the entrance more then,' the sailor said.

They felled trees on the water's edge; large, fern ones, which aptly blocked the entrance and were impossible to remove. There was even mention, one which required elaborate discussion, of leaving a message to Stapledon, who would arrive in fifty years, warning him of the future events, and wishing to stir some compassion in him, may cement the efforts of the pair. Mayvis speculated someone of his pertinacity may consider the warning some encouragement to meet his challenge, and could even further his goals. He concluded by saying their remaining days, when not at rest, should be put to use in blocking the cave system even more, and exploring the island in meticulous detail, to find other sources of this gem.

There, Mayvis and Billy retraced their steps, now following the stream completely, back to the cliff of granite and Tiger's Den. Neither spoke as they sat and started a fire. Fresh stars emerged; the magnificent constellations shone resplendently. The slender crescent moon appeared, hit the liquid surface surrounding them, just long enough for the sailor to discern the horizontal line detached from the clouds, then:

'Now we become its masters!' said he, just as the lunar crescent descended below the waves.